Shoe form



April 11, 1939. w 1 DE w T 2,153,794

SHOE FORM Filed June 10, 1958 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE FORM ration of New York Application June 10, 1938, Serial No. 212,925

Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoe forms, more particularly those of the type shown in my patents, No. 1,646,016, dated October 18, 1927 and No. 1,704,693, dated March 12, 1929,

5 and comprising a toe member of Celluloid or other flexible resilient material and a back part member attached to the toe member and adapted, when the shoe form is inserted in a shoe, to bear against the heel counter and yieldably advance the toe member and expand it laterally into contact with the wall of the toe of the shoe.

One object of this invention resides in the formation of that part of the toe member by which the walls thereof are expanded or contracted,

such means comprising specifically a pair of crossbars or braces each pivoted at one end to the toe member and having at the other end a loop which engages a wire supported at the ends to the toe member and having a plurality of recesses between the supports, such recesses being formed by imparting a plurality of bends to the wire.

Another object of this invention resides in the formation of the counter-engaging end of the back part member.

These and other objects will appear from an examination of the following description of one embodiment of the invention and of the drawing which forms a part thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates in side elevation one embodiment of this invention positioned within a shoe, portions of this shoe being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of such an embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the toe member thereof with portions broken away; and

Fig. 4 shows in longitudinal section the counter-engaging end of the back part member.

The shoe form I0 embodying this invention comprises a toe member II and back part member I2 adapted to be inserted in a shoe to extend and plump out the walls thereof.

The toe member I I comprises a hollow element I5 of Celluloid or other resiliently flexible material suitably formed and provided at the bottom of the walls with ball flanges I6 and 11 adapted to rest upon the insole of a shoe. Each flange carries on its upper face a wire rod I8 secured at its ends to the flange as by rivets I9. The

flanges are connected by two cross braces 20. One cross brace is pivotally secured at its forward end to the flange I6, as by a rivet 2|, and the other cross brace is similarly secured to the flange I1, as by a rivet 22. The rearward end of each cross brace terminates in a loop 23 which rides on a wire rod I8, the cross brace pivoted to the flange I6 engaging the rod I8 on the flange I1 and vice versa. The rods I8 are given a plurality of bends to form recesses 24 in which the loops 23 rest, as will be set forth below.

The back part member I2 comprises a rod 25, and a sleeve 26, in telescopic relation thereto. Said rod 25 terminates, at its forward end, in a loop 21, which, as shown in the drawing, encloses both cross braces 20. From the loop 21 the rod 25 extends forward a short distance and is then bent backward. The rearward end of the rod 25 is received within the sleeve 26 and is provided with a head 28. In the ends of the sleeve 26 are mounted plugs 30 and 3|. The plug 30 at the forward end of the sleeve has an axially extending hole therein through which the rod 25 passes. This plug 30 and the head 28 on the rod coact to prevent the separation of the rod and sleeve. The plug 3| closes the rearward end of the sleeve. Mounted in the sleeve 26 is an expansion spring 32, one end of which rests upon the head 28, while the other end rests against the plug 3I. At the end of the back part member is provided a button 33, here shown as an integral part of the plug 3|.

The shoe form is inserted in a shoe in the usual way (see Fig. 1) with the toe member in the toe of the shoe and the rearward end of the back part member resting against the heel counter of the shoe. The spring 32 compressed by the telescoping of the rod 25 and sleeve 26 yieldably presses the button 33 against the heel counter and causes the loop 21 to swing both cross braces 20 about the rivets on which they are pivoted. As the cross braces are advanced the loops 23 at the free ends thereof move along the rods I8 from one recess 24 to another until the wall of the toe member is brought closely in contact with and plumps out the wall of the shoe toe. The recesses 24 in which the loops 23 finally land, hold the cross braces in the final position until retracted by a pull exerted upon the rod 25.

Since, as pointed out above, the rod 25 of the back part member extends forwardly from the loop 21 and is then bent rearwardly, the advance of the cross braces is in response to a pulling force and their retraction is in response to a pushing force.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that my invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe form consisting of a toe member and a back part member, said toe member comprising a hollow element having ball flanges thereon, a rod supported on each flange and extending longitudinally thereof, each said rod being sinuous and provided with a plurality of recesses, cross braces connecting said flanges, the end of one cross brace being pivotally secured to one flange and the end of the other cross brace being pivotally secured to the other flange, the free end of each cross brace being provided with a loop which rides on the rod carried by that flange to which the other cross brace is secured and lands on the various recesses thereon, and means connecting said back part member to both cross braces whereby, in response to pressure exerted by the back part member, the braces are swung pivotally to expand or contract laterally the wall of the toe member.

2. A shoe form consisting of a toe member and a back part member, said toe member comprising a hollow element having ball flanges thereon, a rod supported on each flange and extending longitudinally thereof, each said rod being sinuous and provided with a plurality of recesses, two intersecting cross braces connecting said flanges, the end of one cross brace being pivotally secured to one flange and the end of other cross brace being pivotally secured to the other flange, the free end of each cross brace being provided with a loop which rides on the rod carried by that flange to which the other cross brace is secured and lands on the various recesses thereon, and a loop at the forward end of said back part memher, which loop encloses both said cross braces adjacent their intersection whereby in response to pressure exerted by the back part member both said cross braces are swung pivotally to expand or contract laterally the wall of the toe member.

3. A shoe form consisting of a toe member and a back part member, said toe member comprising a hollow element having ball flanges thereon, a rod supported on each flange and extending longitudinally thereof, two intersecting cross braces connecting said flanges, the end of one cross brace being pivotally secured to one flange and the end of the other cross brace being pivotally secured to the other flange, the free end of each cross brace being provided with a loop which rides on the rod carried by that flange to which the other cross brace is secured, and a loop at the forward end of said back part member, said member extending forwardly of said loop and then being bent rearwardly, whereby in response to pressure exerted by the back part member both said cross braces are swung pivotally to expand or contract laterally the wall of the toe member, the loop being pulled forwardly to expand the wall and pushed rearwardly to contract the wall.

4. A shoe form consisting of a toe member and a back part member, said toe member comprising a hollow element having ball flanges thereon, a rod supported on one flange and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod being sinuous and provided with a plurality of recesses, a cross brace connecting said flanges, one end of the cross brace being pivotally secured to the other of said flanges and the other end of the cross brace being provided with a loop which rides upon the rod and lands in the various recesses thereon, and means connecting said back part member to said cross brace whereby in response to pressure exerted by said back part member said cross brace is swung pivotally to move the loop at the end thereof along said rod and expand or contract laterally the wall of the toe member.

5. A shoe form consisting of a toe member and a back part member, said toe member including a hollow element and means for expanding or contracting the wall thereof laterally, and said back part member including a rod connected at its forward end to said means and extending first forwardly from such connection and then rearwardly, whereby the back part member actuates said means by a tractive pull to expand the wall of the hollow element laterally and by a push to contract such wall.

WILLIAM J. DE wrrr. 

